Battery pack

Abstract

A battery pack includes a battery module including a module housing and a plurality of battery cells accommodated in the module housing; a pack housing accommodating a plurality of battery modules therein and having at least one venting hole for discharging gas externally from the pack housing; a transverse member installed in the pack housing and disposed in a direction, intersecting an internal space of the pack housing; and a flow guide member disposed in an internal space of the transverse member in a longitudinal direction of the transverse member, and configured to guide gas introduced from a transverse portion connection hole in the transverse member, to form a first gas flow with directionality in the longitudinal direction of the transverse member.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A battery pack comprising:
 a battery module including a module housing and a plurality of battery cells accommodated in the module housing; 
 a pack housing accommodating a plurality of battery modules therein and having at least one venting hole for discharging gas externally from the pack housing; 
 a transverse member installed in the pack housing and disposed in a direction intersecting an internal space of the pack housing; and 
 a flow guide member disposed in an internal space of the transverse member in a longitudinal direction of the transverse member, and configured to guide gas introduced from a transverse portion connection hole in the transverse member, to form a first gas flow with directionality in the longitudinal direction of the transverse member, 
 wherein the flow guide member comprises a flow guide portion and a flow obstruction portion, 
 the flow guide portion is configured to guide gas flowing in a first direction from one portion of the flow guide member toward another portion of the flow guide member, and to thereby flow through a main flow path, and 
 the flow obstruction portion is configured to restrict gas from flowing in a second direction, opposite to the first direction, from another portion of the flow guide member toward the one portion of the flow guide member. 
 
     
     
       2. The battery pack of  claim 1 , wherein
 a module portion discharge hole corresponding to the transverse portion connection hole is disposed in the module housing, 
 a flow portion inlet hole corresponding to the transverse portion connection hole is disposed in the flow guide member, 
 a flow portion discharge hole corresponding to the at least one venting hole is disposed in the flow guide member, and 
 the gas generated in the module housing is discharged to the at least one venting hole through the flow guide member. 
 
     
     
       3. The battery pack of  claim 2 , wherein the flow guide member is configured to guide gas introduced from the flow portion inlet hole, to form the first gas flow with directionality in one direction toward the flow portion discharge hole. 
     
     
       4. The battery pack of  claim 3 , wherein the flow portion discharge hole is disposed at one end of the flow guide member in a longitudinal direction thereof. 
     
     
       5. The battery pack of  claim 2 , wherein
 the flow portion discharge hole comprises a first flow portion discharge hole and a second flow portion discharge hole respectively formed at both opposing ends of the flow guide member in a longitudinal direction thereof, 
 the flow guide member is configured to guide second gas flow introduced from the flow portion inlet hole, to form third and fourth gas flows with directionalities in both directions toward the first flow portion discharge hole and the second flow portion discharge hole, and 
 the second gas flow introduced from the flow portion inlet hole is discharged through at least one of the first flow portion discharge hole and the second flow portion discharge hole. 
 
     
     
       6. The battery pack of  claim 5 , wherein
 one side portion of the flow guide member in the longitudinal direction is configured to guide the second gas flow introduced from the flow portion inlet hole, to form the third gas flow with directionality in a direction toward one of the first flow portion discharge hole and the second flow portion discharge hole formed at one end of the flow guide member in the longitudinal direction, and 
 the other side portion of the flow guide member in the longitudinal direction is configured to guide the second gas flow introduced from the flow portion inlet hole, to form the fourth gas flow with directionality in a direction toward the other one of the first flow portion discharge hole and the second flow portion discharge hole formed at the other end of the flow guide member in the longitudinal direction thereof. 
 
     
     
       7. The battery pack of  claim 2 , wherein the at least one venting hole is formed in a position corresponding to an end portion of the transverse member in a longitudinal direction thereof. 
     
     
       8. The battery pack of  claim 7 , wherein a transverse portion discharge hole is disposed in a position of the transverse member corresponding to the at least one venting hole. 
     
     
       9. The battery pack of  claim 2 , wherein the flow guide portion is configured to have a first flow resistance for gas introduced from the flow portion inlet hole in the first direction,
 the flow obstruction portion is configured to have a second flow resistance for gas introduced from the flow portion inlet hole in the second direction, and 
 the first flow resistance is less than the second flow resistance. 
 
     
     
       10. The battery pack of  claim 2 , wherein the main flow path is formed in a central portion of the flow guide member. 
     
     
       11. The battery pack of  claim 10 , wherein the flow guide member further comprises a partition wall, the partition wall configured to guide the gas flowing in the first direction of the flow guide member into the main flow path, and configured to guide the gas flowing in the second direction of the flow guide member into the flow obstruction portion. 
     
     
       12. The battery pack of  claim 10 , wherein the flow portion inlet hole is inclined toward the first direction. 
     
     
       13. The battery pack of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of battery modules are installed on both sides in a width direction of at least one of the transverse members,
 the transverse portion connection hole is respectively disposed on both sides of the transverse member in the width direction of the transverse member, and 
 the flow portion inlet hole corresponds to the transverse portion connection hole. 
 
     
     
       14. The battery pack of  claim 1 , wherein the transverse member supports the module housing. 
     
     
       15. The battery pack of  claim 14 , wherein the module housing comprises an extension portion extending toward the transverse member, the extension portion being supported by an upper surface of the transverse member. 
     
     
       16. A battery pack comprising:
 a battery module including a module housing and a plurality of battery cells accommodated in the module housing; 
 a pack housing accommodating a plurality of battery modules therein and having at least one vent hole for discharging gas externally from the pack housing; and 
 a transverse member installed in the pack housing and disposed in a direction intersecting an internal space of the pack housing, 
 wherein the transverse member comprises means for guiding gas in a downstream gas flow direction inside the transverse member toward the at least one vent hole. 
 
     
     
       17. The battery pack of  claim 16 , wherein the means for guiding gas in a downstream gas flow direction comprises:
 a flow guide portion configured to guide the gas in the downstream gas flow direction and 
 a flow obstruction portion restricting gas from flowing opposite the downstream gas flow direction. 
 
     
     
       18. The battery pack of  claim 16 , wherein the means for guiding gas in a downstream gas flow direction comprises:
 at least one vortex-generating structure resisting gas from flowing opposite the downstream gas flow direction. 
 
     
     
       19. The battery pack of  claim 16 , wherein the means for guiding gas in a downstream gas flow direction comprises:
 directionally oriented inlet holes in the transverse member directing input gas into the transvers member in the downstream gas flow direction; and 
 directionally inclined partitions inside the transverse member directing the input gas in the downstream gas flow direction. 
 
     
     
       20. The battery pack of  claim 16 , wherein a first flow resistance for gas introduced to the transverse member in the downstream gas flow direction is less than a second flow resistance for gas introduced to the transverse member opposite the downstream gas flow direction.